Barbossa's Return
by Barley Shadow
Summary: Jack picks up a girl in Tortuga, and a stowaway, and a coin. And an a familiar Undead Captain. (Complete.)
1. Ye've go' me

I do not own any of the treasure of Cortez! Oh yeah and Jack, I think he's a bit of a live wire, but so am I, we'd either get along like a house of fire or fight like cat and dog. So I don't own him, know him, or have anything to do with him. Be gentle with my first PotC, I'm writing another one that I think is gonna be better. And, I began to write this as you/Jack, and then had to change all the yous to she's and her's and all sorts, so parts of it might read funny, but I think I got most of it.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin. . .

Chapter One: Ye've go' me

He pushes her backwards, lips locked together, she can feel the braids and beads in his hair against her face, and smell the sweet sticky smell of rum in the air as he pulls her corset off of her. She reachs the bed in only a petticoat, and him in his breeches, his hat is off but there's still the dirty red bandana round his head. He pushes her onto the bed and climbs ontop of her, slowly moving his hands up her thighs. The way he's looking at her, and not just his comical appearance, makes her think he's taunting her, but she doesn't know why.

"Ye're new to this game, ain't ye, love?" he asks, almost rhetorically, knowing the answer. She's been caught out. She _is_ new to this game, but she's not going to tell him that, she needs the money.

"You'd be surprised," she reply. He smiles and gets off her, sitting on the side of the bed. She sits up too.

"Ye're no whore," he says, pulling on his boots.

"What?" She's confused, what did it matter to him whether she's done this before or not?

"An' I shoul' know. Listen love, they all think Jack Sparrow ain't got a 'eart, but he has, and he's not gonna lead one as fine as yerself into this business."

"Listen love," she begins just as he had, "It's either gonna be you, or the next guy that's down there."

"Then he's welcome to ye, but if ye don't min', I'll be stickin' to the ones who I _know_ ain't got no future. You could really do summat wit' yerself love, ye don' 'ave ter be like this." She knows it's over, she's just going to have to get the next guy that's down there.

"What gave me away then?" she asks, so she could not mess it up next time. Jack pulls his dirty shirt over his head.

"One, yer don' dress like a whore, two, ye don' _act_ like a whore, and three, ye didn't ask fer ye money up fron'," he says, putting some coins down on the table.

"What's that for?" she asks.

"Tha's for you to go downstairs with, get summat to eat, and think abou' whether this is the only option for ye," says Jack putting his hat on and tipping it.

"This _is _the only option, you think I'd be prepared to do this if it wasn't?" she says. "I have no money, nowhere to stay, nothing to eat, and no future."

Suddenly, Jack takes off his hat, walks towards her and kisses her forcefully, she try to step backwards because of the pressure he's putting on her, but she can't, he's pinned her up against a wall. His hands are roaming over her chest and he's ripping her corset off of her back, she can't move and she desperately wants him to get off but she can't speak, he almost throws her onto the bed and climbs over her, lifting up her petticoat she feels his rough, calloused hands on her delicate skin. He's kissing her again, pushing her so far back onto the mattress and leaning so close she can hardly breathe, his hands make contact with her hips and she can't push him off. He stops, and looks deep into her eyes.

"Is this really wha' ye wan', love?" he asks. She shakes her head, eyes wide, scared stiff. He backs off. "Compared to wha' some men'd do, I didn' even touch ye." He walks, or more accurately, sways, over to her, still lying on the bed, gently runs his hands through her hair and smiles. "Sorry abou' tha', love, I's ne'er gonna hurt ye, but I had ter show ye wha' it's like, tha's not worth a couple of dubloons is it?" She shakes her head and sits up, she feel like crying. Why was he doing this when he should be raping her?

"Now," he says after a moment. "I can' guarantee ye a future, or voluptous amounts of money, but I can give ye summat to eat and somewhere to stay," he offers. She looks up at him and he's extending his hand. What else can she do? She has nowhere else to go. She doesn't know why she's doing this, or feeling they way she does, part of her is so glad he's giving her another option, and part of her feels so low knowing that she can't even make a decent whore. She smiles a little before taking his hand and he helps her up.

"What's ye name, love?" he asks.

"Sarah." The corset is ruined because Jack had ripped the ties, so Sarah desceneds the stairs in her petticoat, a few steps behind Jack who's staggering a little. When she reaches the bottom he stops and turns around.

"Remember, we're still in a brothel savvy? There's guys in there tha' probably won' stop at much to get ye, 'specially dressed like tha'," he says. "So we're gonna have ter be quick, don' le' go o' me hand, savvy?" Savvy? She knows he's asking her a question, so she nods in agreement. He slowly opens the door and pulls her through; there is, indeed, plenty of men here, and plenty do look at her, smirking as she passes through, keeping a tight hold of Jack's hand. A few even reach out for her, grabbing at the hem of her petticoat. Jack pulls her along 'til she's out of the door and into the night.

"Ye alright?" Jack asks when they're outside. Sarah nods, and he proceeds down the street, still keeping a tight hold of her hand, although she doesn't know why as there's no-one about. He leads her down alleyways and backstreets that she didn't even know existed in Tortuga, he obviously knows the place like the back of his hand. Soon, they're near by the port, she can hear the waves softly lapping the dock, but Jack wasn't taking her to the dock, he led her off, to the side of the cove, past trees that edged the little town of Tortuga and into a bay that held only one ship, a large ghostly ship, with billowing black sails even though it had docked and there was no wind. He led her up the gangplank and onto the deck, where there was a very chilly deserted atmosphere, there wasn't a soul about and the creaking of the wood and sails creating shadows made you feel very uneasy. Jack led her to the helm of the ship and into a cabin.

The cabin was beautiful, once Jack had let go of her hand and lit a candle she could see it for all its glory. It was obviously the Captain's cabin, there's a double bed with deep red hangings, beautiful dark cupboards and drawers that seem perfect, even though she can see they were tarnished with scratches and pin-holes where there are maps and charts. The curtains, of the same deep red fabric, once opened, looked over the back of the ship, and she can see the little dabs of light through the trees that is Tortuga. Jack's looking at her, as if for her approval, but she doesn't quite know what to say, so he breaks the silence.

"I hope this is alrigh' for ye, although, it's only for one night mind, tomorrow I'll get ye another cabin, bu', as everyone's out pillaging in Tortuga ye migh' as well have mine," he says. She turns from the window and looks at him, tears creeping into her eyes.

"Jack, I can't thank you enough, but, I can't stay in your cabin," she begins, but Jack cuts you off.

"Of course ye can. I know this ship like the back of me han', I'll find somewhere else t' sleep fer tonight. D'ye fancy summat to eat?" he asks cunningly, knowing full well that she's starving. She smiles and nods her head, and Jack disappears from the cabin. She draws the curtains closed again and lies down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. After a few moments, Jack comes back with some bread, he unlocks one of the cabinets and pulls out a bottle of rum, which he uncorks.

"I'm afraid it's either rum or seawater," he says, apologetically as she tucks into the bread. Jack sits on the end of the bed next to her.

"Do you have to watch me eat?" she asks, taking a sip of the rum.

"Hang on, love, ye were planning to sleep with me, an' now ye're too shy to eat in fron' o' me?" he asks. You look at him. "Can I share ye're rum?" he adds quickly. She smiles and nod. "By the way, why were you in tha' brothel?"

"Mr. Sparrow," she says.

"Captain Sparrow," he corrects her as she finishes off the bread and lies back on the bed.

"Captain Sparrow," she begins again.

"Jack," he says.

"Jack," he takes a swig of rum and looks down at her. "When you have nothing," she begins sadly, "Apart from your body, and you haven't eaten in days, you'll be prepared to sell even that."

"How come ye haven' got anything, love? If tha's not too personal a question," Jack asks.

"Been like that ever since I can remember, I always keep myself clean so I don't look homeless and people don't avoid me, and so I don't look guilty when stallholders notice that food's missing from their carts. But I try and work, so I can buy food, I used to work in taverns," she trails off. "Jack?" she asks.

"Yes, love?" he answers, laying down next to her on his bed.

"How come you didn't just sleep with me and go?" she asks.

"Well, love. I came to Tortuga withou' a dubloon in me pocket or a shirt on me back. Everything I go', I either stole, bought with stolen money or won in a pub, an' it's taken me eight year. I really di' have nothing, an' I woul've given me right arm for someone t' help me," Jack says.

"You really did have nothing?" she says, looking towards him. "Then what have I got?"

"Ye've go' me."


	2. What the Black Pearl is, freedom

Chapter Two: What The Black Pearl is, freedom

Sarah opens her eyes, sunlight is pouring through the window even though the curtains are drawn. There's loud snoring coming from someone beside her, it's Jack. He's rolled over so far he was almost falling off the bed, she watches him for a few moments listening to his dull snores, until he does fall off the bed. She tries to surpress a giggle, but she can't, and she laughs loudly as he jumps up, shaking his head, he sees her laughing.

"Thin' tha's funny do ye?" he asks loudly, but not particularly angrilly. She's laughing so hard she feel there's no point in saying no, so she nods.

"Well, tha's no way to trea' a Captain," Jack roars. "If ye were one o' me male pirates I'd throw ye overboar'." She abruptly stops laughing.

"Why don't you?" she ask.

"'Cos I'm gonna need ye," he smiles and says with a wink. She sits up.

"Captain, you took me from that hovel just so you had a personal whore on your ship?" she asks outraged. Only just now she realises that the ship is slowly rocking backwards and forewards. They're at sea!

"No, love," says Jack, running his hands down her arms. "I didn't mean tha'. I guess ye've noticed we're no' in Tortuga anymore. Ye're on the ship so ye're part o' the crew, we don' carry passengers, so ye've got t' work for ye keep, and not as a whore no. See, I used t' have this lass, Anamaria on me crew, well, she was only here 'cos I stole and sunk her boa' and she wanted another one, which I gave 'er and she left, 's a long story. Bu' when we weren' docked she used to do all the cookin', see?" She did see. Again, she doesn't really have an option. It was either cook for the crew, get thrown overboard or go back to the Tortuga brothel. And anyway, she could cook quite well, it wouldn't be that bad.

"I do see, Jack," she says.

"And wha' do ye say?" he asked.

"I say yes."

"Great. Well, ye know this cabin were only for las' night, bu' I know there's an empty cabin, so ye can have tha'. I don' know if we've got any more suitable clothes, so ye might have t' stay in tha' until we reach the nex' port. Come on, I'll lead the way," says Jack as he opens the door of the cabin for her.

"This is Gibbs' cabin, he's me firs' mate," says Jack. The door has a small piece of dirty paper nailed to it saying, 'First mate Gibbs' scrawled onto it. She had noticed Jacks cabin had an engraved panel saying 'Captain's Cabin' in gold, she smiles. Jack knows what she's smiling at.

"I don' exactly know where the name tags are from, as none o' my lot can read or write, bu' some o' me younger crew though' if I had a plaque they shoul' all have one, and I didn' like t' not encourage it, a happy crew works better tha' a unhappy one, and I'm tryin' to avoid mutiny, ye know?" Jack raps smartly on Gibbs' door, and she hears a grunt from inside. The door opens and a very disgruntled, grey-haired man stands behind it. "This is Gibbs," Jack says very quickly and begins to move on, without letting Gibbs say a word.

"Captain," Gibbs starts.

"Yes, bad luck, I know," says Jack, moving Sarah on, leaving Gibbs standing at the door.

"Jack, you really don't have to wake your crew up just to meet me," she says. Jack winks at her.

"I know, love, I weren' gonna. But Gibbs has got the worst timing, so I though' I'd win' him up a bi'," replies Jack.

"Jack, you make me think that you're a mean Captain who will do anything to get his way," she says, almost flirtatiously.

"And maybe I do, love," he says, deffinately flirting back, he takes her hand and stops outside a door labelled, 'Gessed Cworters,' she almost laughs at this.

"What is it, love?" Jack asks.

"Have you got a pencil or something?" she asks. Amazingly, Jack pulls out a stubby piece of lead from somewhere on him and hands it over. She takes the piece of paper off of the nail and turn it over, writing 'Guest Quarters,' on the back, and sliding it back over the nail. "That look better?" she asks.

"Nope, but then I can' read, love," says Jack, opening the door.

"I thought you didn't carry passengers?" she asks, remembering what Jack had said.

"No, we don'. This is the cabin we use for our, um, upper-class prisoners, tha's why the windows boarde' up, and only a bed, but, it is the biggest spare cabin we've go', love, and ye can make it more homely as ye wish," says Jack. Sarah gives him a hug.

"Thanks Jack, now, show me the kitchen, galley," she corrects herself. Jack takes her hand and leads her out of her cabin and down some stairs below deck. 'Is he flirting with me?' she thought, 'He must be, why else would he take my hand? It's not like he's going to lose me.' "Jack, why do you take my hand?" she asks. Jack thinks about this for a moment, and the clear answer was just because he wanted to.

"Because a ship's no' the safes' place," he replies at last. "'Specially fo' someone wearin' a dress like yours," he winks, leading her down more stairs. "You haven' le' go though' have ye?" Now it's Sarah's turn to blush a little.

"Well," she begins, she can see that Jack knows she doesn't know what to say. "A ship's not the safest place to be. Not for someone in a dress like mine." This was deffinately said flirtatiously.

"Well, if I coul' take the dress off ye, I woul', love, bu' I can' as ye've go' nothin' else t' wear," says Jack, making it sound terrible that he couldn't take the dress off her. They reach the galley, and it's a quaint little kitchen, there's a few pots and pans hanging about, a table and a small stove, cupboards, and plants hanging about from the ceiling, tied up in bunches. "O' course, it's still go' Anamaria's organisation, but, the crew don' really mind wha' they eat, as long as it's edible."

"It's great Jack," she says, looking round, and opening a few drawers.

"Right, love, I imagine everyone's up now, an' if they're no', they shoul' be, so I'll go get us sailin'," says Jack.

"Jack?" she asks, turning to look at him, his beads swaying as he turned around too.

"Yes, love?"

"Where are we sailing?" she asks, realising she'd never asked this question before.

"When ye wan' t' go somewhere in Tortuga, ye walk there, don' ye? Bu' if ye don' wanna go anywhere, ye stay in yer house, righ'? The Black Pearl is our home, so when we' got nowhere exactly to go, we jus' sail, love. It's wha' The Black Pearl is, freedom."


	3. It's beautiful Jack

Chapter Three: It's beautiful Jack

Over the next few days, she made her cabin much more 'homely' as Jack said. It had amazed her what she could do with the things lying around the ship. She had quite a few sculptures she'd made from drift-wood. Jack often came into her cabin, and everyone was dropping by to give her more candles, as the window-less room wasn't very bright.

"We're nearly a' a port, love," Jack says one day, the door is wide open and hooked back, letting light into the room, candles still stood in corners, blown out because of the draught from the open door. "We'll b able t' get ye a new dress, an' more candles and things."

"Great," she agrees. She takes three coins out of a cabinet and gives them to Jack.

"Wha's this for, love?" he asks.

"Remember before you took me out of the brothel, before you pinned me up against the wall. You gave me money, even though I didn't sleep with you," she says. "It's for a dress, you've given me a home, and a life, and, I know this will probably sound really ungreatful, but I don't mean it to be, but I don't want you paying for my clothes as well, even when I thought I needed to be a whore to survive, I still had some pride, and I have even more now, so take the money Jack, and pick me out something really nice."

"Yer not coming into the port wit' us?" he asks.

"No, I want to stay here, although dry land's better than the sea, I don't want to leave here, and if I stay on board I know you can't leave me," she says, poking Jack's nose gently. He takes her fingers and kisses them.

"I woul't leave ye, love, I need ye culinary skills too much. Ye don' know what it's like livin' on ol' meat and seawater," he says, laughing. Gibbs passes the door.

"Captain," he says, taking a step inside the cabin.

"Mr. Gibbs, how may I help you?" asks Jack.

"We're at port," says Gibbs.

"Thank you Gibbs, I'll be ou' in a minute," and Gibbs leaves. "Ye know, I thin' I'll stay onboard wit' ye tonight, love. I don' wanna be tempted," Jack says, and also leaves the cabin.

An hour or so later, when all the crew except Gibbs and Sarah has gone ashore, she decides to make something else for her room. There's plently of wood about on the deck, and axes to cut it with. She takes a piece up and puts it on a large round structure, used for typing the anchor rope round, and picks up a smallish axe, the bigger ones being too heavy. Gibbs comes out of his cabin and, walks over to her.

"Would you like a hand?" he offers.

"No, thank you Mr. Gibbs, I shall be fine," she says and hits the wood straight down the middle.

"I can see that, miss. I'll be leaving, but Jack shoul' be back any minute now, so you won't be onboard alone for long."

"Yes, Mr. Gibbs, I shall see you tomorrow," she says, wielding the axe again, a little more dangerously this time. Gibbs watches as she brings it down safely and then leaves The Black Pearl. After a bit of chopping, the wood is beginning to take some sort of shape, and she starts to think what it could possibly be, and decide that it must remain a sculpture, of no known shape or form, merely a work of art, in it's own right. She hits the wood another time, and a large chuck flies off and hits her shoulder, she immediately puts the axe down and tears a small strip of fabric from the hem of her petticoat to wrap around the wound, after inspecting it for pieces of wood and splinters. She believes it's clean. Just now, Jack walks up the gangplank and looks over to her. Not knowing about her injury, he goes straight into his cabin, carrying a box. 'I wonder what he's got?' She takes her sculpture, and with a smaller instrument scrape it and shape it as she wishes, and then returns to her cabin to place it on a cabinet with a few others. Out of curiosity, she knock on the Captain's door, no-one answers, she's sure she saw Jack go in there just a moment ago. She open the door a crack, then more, and walks in. Jack turns round suddenly.

"Ye frightened me, love," he said with a smile, trying to hide whatever he was doing.

"I was just wondering what you were doing Jack, and what you'd bought," she asks politley. Jack knows he can't hide it from her and shows her the box. There's a note on the top saying, 'Love Jac,' and a stubby piece of lead in Jack's hand.

"I thought you didn't know how to write?" she asks.

"Well, I go' the woman in the shop to write it down on this," says Jack, holding out another piece of paper, which 'Love Jack' were clearly written on. "Bu' I wanted to write it on meself, and the shop was busy."

"Oh, Jack," she cooes, as he finishes off the k and hands her the box. Before she can open it, he notices her arm.

"Ye're hur', love," he says and raises a hand as if to touch it, but he doesn't, he takes off the fabric bandage and looks at the wound. "Choppin' wood, eh?" he asks with a smile. She nods. He gets up and closes the curtains, as it's beginning to get dark, and he lights a few candles. The wound has stopped bleeding. Jack takes out a bottle of alcohol and an old shirt.

"It doesn't need disinfecting Jack, it'll be ok, it's only wood," she says as she gets up, putting the box down on the bed. She knows this is going to hurt, and she knows Jack won't let her get away. He finds a clean piece of shirt and folds it up. With his other hand he takes her wrist and moves her so she's sitting on the end of his bed. He moves and sits on the side of the bed, to get a clear look at her arm, and she wriggles backwards, to the head of the bed, and stops when she can't get any further.

"Jack, it's alright," she protests, but he straddles her to keep her still, and pours a little alcohol onto the shirt, and dabs the wound. Pain sears through her shoulder, only part of her realises this is the safest option, the larger part wants to kick out and hit Jack. She squirms a little.

"Come on, love, we don' wan' ye getting diseased, there's enough risk of tha' on a ship, wi'out helpin' it wi' cuts," he says, as he gently presses harder on the wound, making the alcohol burn more, she really squirms this time, and Jack rests a hand on her chest to help keep her still. He takes the shirt away, still inspecting the cut, she feels the small beads on the braids on his chin on her forehead. Then he bends down to blow on the cut.

"There," he says, triumphantly. "Tha' weren' so bad was it?"

"No, but it hurts," she replies. Jack smiles.

"I think ye were very brave," he says to this. He looks into her eyes, smiling, and gives her a quick kiss on her lips. Then he kisses her again, a little bit deeper, and with more meaning. She pulls away, not very far as she's stuck on the bed. 'What am I doing?' says a voice in her head. 'Oh come on,' says another, 'You've been flirting with him ever since you met, you find him very attractive, and he's very kind, gentle and a caring person.' 'Yes, but,' 'Oh just go away,' the other voice comes back.

"Wha's wrong, love?" asks Jack in a husky whisper. She reaches up an returns Jack's deeper kiss. 'That's better,' says the voice. She can feel Jack's fingers running through her hair, and then travelling down her body towards her waist. She sits up, knocking him over. Pain shooting through her arm, she clutches at it, not touching the wound.

"Love, I'm so sorry," says Jack, getting up and fetching a bandage, he rolls it round her arm, she winces, and he ties it together. He plants a kiss ontop of the bandage, and looks up at her. "I'm sorry," he says again. She smiles.

"It's alright," she say, resting her forehead on his. "Great timing though."

"Classic Gibbs timin' I woul' say, love," says Jack laughing. "Ye didn' open ye presen'," he said, handing her the box once more. She looks down at it, at the note reading 'Love Jack' in scrawly smudged letters, and takes off the lid. Inside is the most beautiful dress she's ever seen, it's a creamy beige colour, with deep red stitches and patterns on, small, delicate beads that look like they're made out of glass. The neck-line has a lacy, but not whore-like trim, as does the bottom. She runs her fingers over it.

"Jack, it's beautiful," she says, shocked.

"I hope' ye'd like it," said Jack, pleased.

"But this must have cost you more than I gave you," she says, looking at him.

"Well, I di' add a bi' of me own money to it, ye know? Wante' a dress as lovely as ye, an' I weren' gonna get it unless I pai' a lot fer it, beautiful things don' come cheap," he says. 'He's so sweet,' she thinks.

"Will you help me put it on?" she asks. He nods, as she slips her petticoat, which is now quite dirty, over her head and Jack helps fasten her into the dress, not even looking at the enormous amounts of bare flash she shows between dresses. It looks even more beautiful on, and Jack stands back to admire her. She smiles as she look down at herself, twirling around. She rushes to give Jack a thank you hug, which he gladly returns, she rests her head on his shoulder as he holds her waist tightly.

"I go' ye some more sui'able clothin' fer workin' on the ship," he says, "Dresses are a bi' o' a loose canon onboar' a ship, ye know."

"Thanks, Jack," she releases him from the hug.

"Ye tire', love?" he asks. She nods.

"Yes, but I don't think I could sleep," she replies. Jack gently guides her to the bed, but she knows he's not going to try anything. She falls backwards and he lays beside her.

"Ye ever been in love, love?" Jack smiles at his choice of words.

"I don't know, Jack," she says.

"Wha'd ye mean, ye don' know?" Jack asks.

"Are you asking me how I feel about you?" she asks in return, knowing that this is what he's trying to get out of her.

"Yes," Jack stated, a little more boldly than she had imagined he would.

"Love's a strong word, Jack. I've known you, a week maybe. I can't fall in love in a week. But I like you, a lot," she says, looking at him. "Now it's your turn."

"Love _is _a strong wor', love," says Jack, and she's not sure whether he knows he's just contradicted himself. "Bu' I like ye, I like ye a lo'." She snuggles a bit closer to him and he puts an arm behind her head.

"So," Sarah begins. "What happens now?"

"What d'ye mean, love?"

"Well, Jack. We've both just admitted that we like eachother," she says.

"A lo'," Jack buts in.

"A lot," she agrees with a laugh. "So, what happens now?"

"Well, love. We wai' a while, an' see if we fall in love I 'spose," he says. This confuses her slightly, and she frowns a little, while smiling, trying to make that last comment make more sense.

"Jack?" she asks, moving her head slightly.

"Yes, love?" She leans over to him and kisses him gently, he returns the kiss, stroking her hair and then jawline. She slowly rolls over onto him, he puts both his hands on her hips, kissing her passionately. She begin to run her fingers slowly through his dreadlocks and rests her other hand on his shoulder. Jack remembers her injured shoulder and takes special care not to touch the bandages. She breaks the kiss and smiles at him, he smiles back.

"Oh, Jack," she says.

"D'ye still like me?" he asks.

"I still like you a lot Captain," she says teasingly.

"Captain eh? I love it whe' ye remember me status, love. So, how d'ye feel, kissin' ye Captain?"

"It feels naughty," she says, tapping his nose.

"Ye better be careful, love. Or I migh' jus' ge' tempted," Jack says, before kissing her again.

"And what would I have to do, to make you tempted?" she asks.

"Well, firs', ye need t' relax," says Jack, he waits, until he feels her relax, resting her head on his shoulder. "And' tha's all ye gotta do love." He rolls them both over, so he's on top. "Still relaxin'?"

"Yes I am Captain."


	4. Stowaway

Chapter Four: Stowaway

"Pleasant night, Captain?" askes Gibbs the next morning. All the crew have arrived back from spending the night in Tortuga, the ship's full of candles and food, clothes and people. Jack stands at the wheel of the ship, the crew bustling about around him.

"Lovely nigh', thank ye for ye concern Gibbs," says Jack, turning the wheel slightly. Sarah opens the Captain's cabin door and steps out into the sunlight. She's no longer wearing the beige dress, but a pair of dark breeches and one of Jack's shirts, which is too big for her delicate figure. She steps up beside Jack and he wraps one arm around her waist, and plants a quick kiss on her forehead. Gibbs has now gone to work on the deck.

"Alrigh' ye scabberous dogs!" roars Jack to his crew. Everyone looks up at Jack and Sarah. "Ye know how we feel abou' eachother, ye can all guess, an' I know ye know how we feel abou' eachother, so there's no need for any rumors or anything. An'," Jack pauses, and Sarah feels that there's a surprise coming. "An' we'll be sharin' the Captain's cabin, so, now ye know where ye can find us both." She looks up at Jack, lips slightly parted, smiling. Jack gives her another quick kiss. "That were it, all han's on deck!" The crew resume their work.

"So, I've been upgraded, have I?" she asks slyly.

"Now, love. Ye make me think ye jus' some whore, who wan's t' sleep in me bed," says Jack, knowing that she's only playing with him. She leans a little closer to his ear.

"I _do _want to sleep in your bed, Jack," she says.

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that," replies Jack. As soon as Jack plants a soft kiss on her lips, Gibbs calls out to him.

"Captain, we've got ourselves a stowaway!"

"Thomas! Take the wheel!" Jack shouts, taking Sarah's hand and leading her to the room where Gibbs has the stowaway. Its not a very furnished room, just a few dusty boxes and things covered in sheets.

"Hello," says Jack, a little strangely for an interrogater. The stowaway, who is a young boy of about twelve, doesn't say anything, and cowers, despite Jack's friendly approach.

"It's alright," Sarah says.

"How d'ye come t' be aboard me Pearl?" asks Jack.

"I come on, last port, hear that Captain Sparrow knows Commodore Barbossa," says the boy slowly, and in broken English.

"Barbossa's dead, Commodore Barbossa?" asks Jack, a little unsure.

"Yes, he killed my family," says the boy, tears pricking his eyes. Jack looks sideways to Gibbs.

"Last port, so Barbossa's at the last port?" asks Jack. The boy nods. "Gibbs, go turn us round," Jack orders, and Gibbs leaves.

"What's your name?" Sarah asks him.

"Lethanial," replies the boy. She glances at Jack.

"Alright, Lethanial," Jack says, moving towards him. Lethanial shuffles backwards a bit. "I'm no' gonna hur' ye, since ye're upon the Pearl, we'd better be ge'ing' a bed for ye," Jack offers, Lethanial looks up at him with wide eyes.

"Oh, Captain!" he says.

An hour later, Sarah's with Jack in their cabin, he's pacing the room.

"Jack, tell me what's wrong," she says. Jack stops, and sits on the bed.

"Nearly a year ago," he begins, "I killed Captain Barbossa. He were me firs' mate and he organize' a mutiny. So I killed 'im. Bu', he were a cursed pirate, as were 'is crew. They took the treasure of Cortez and it turned 'em inta the livin' dead, as some called 'em. Now, we sorted all this ou' an' everthin'. Bu', he can' be alive, I watched 'im die meself, I sho' the bulle'. An' Commodore?"

"Cursed pirates?" Sarah asks. Jack nods. "Maybe we should just wait until we get to port."

"Yeah, ye're righ'," Jack agrees. "We're only a day away."


	5. Commodore Barbossa

Chapter Five: Commodore Barbossa

The evening the Pearl docked at the previous port, Jack searched every tavern and every brothel there, the town reminded him of Tortuga, and, strangely enough, he didn't like it. In almost the last tavern to look in, Jack found him. Lethanial had been right, it was Barbossa, alive and kicking.

"Flyin' visit? Or are ye goin' back to 'ell?" asks Jack, a few feet away from his old first mate.

"Jack," Barbossa greets him, "I think I'm 'ere t' stay for a while, I viste' heaven bu' I din' like it much."

"Ye still on a roll wi' the Cortez treasure?" asks Jack, sitting down at the same table as Barbossa, as if they were old friends.

"I am, yes. Monkey lace' me palm with gold an' 'ere I am," Barbossa spreads his arms a little. "An' I'm quite pleased t' see yer."

"Good. Rum?" asks Jack, as a barmaid lays two pints of rum beside them. "Ta." Jack takes a swig. "So, ye go' a ship?"

"Aye," replies Barbossa. "Go' a good ship."

"Ye plunderin' these waters, or the nex'?" asks Jack, beginning to feel this was a completely one sided conversation.

"Oh, we're plunderin' these waters, an' ye're doin' the nex', bu' leave me some when ye leave," says Barbossa.

"Movin' on pretty soon," says Jack, acting just like he and Barbossa had no history at all. "Mind ye, there is a li'l place we ain' plunder' ye'. I'll leave tha' for ye." They both swigged rum for a while, watching the general commotion that was the tavern. "No' very lively ternigh' eh?"

"No. Usually ge's be'er in abou' an hour," says Barbossa.

"Well, much as I'd like ter stay and ca'ch up," says Jack, drinking the last of his rum and banging the mug on the table. "I 'ave go' pirate's ter command, so I'll be seein' ye, Barbossa. I hear it's Commodore these days, eh?"

"Tha' it is, Jack, Captain weren' good enough fer me," Barbossa replies as Jack turns his back and leaves the tavern.

"I's Barbossa alrigh'," says Jack to Gibbs as he comes aboard the Pearl later that night. "Cortez treasure's awoken 'im, an' I'll be wagerin' he's go' the coin on 'im somewhere, 'e won' be mindless enough' ter le' it go again."

"What do we do, Captain?" asks Gibbs.

"Wha' are we gonna do?" asks Jack. "Give me some time ter think Gibbs!"

It didn't take Jack long to think. And this was the plan. To attack Barbossa' ship kill him and take the blood soaked coin back to the Isle de Muerta, and figure out a way to stop anyone else getting their hands on the treasure. But, for what that way was, 'we'll cross tha' bridge when we come 'o it,' thought Jack.

The next morning Jack sent out pirates to find out what ship Barbossa was on, and it didn't take them very long.

"The Alchemist," one of the crew told Jack. "I's the only big'un in the dock."

"Right," Jack replies. "Gibbs! I'm goin' over 'o the Alchemist, I'll be back la'er."

Jack wanders up the gangplank of the Alchmist, looking slightly more drunk than usual, and hammers on the Captain's door. Barbossa opens it.

"I'll skin ye alive!" he shouts as Jack beams at him from the door. Barbossa stops shouting.

"What d' ye wan' Jack?" he asks.

"I'm here, to help a friend in need," says Jack, swaggering into the cabin. "I jus' though' I'd stop by, and tell ye tha' we're movin' on tomorrow, and there be a nice li'l place between this por' and the nex' tha' we ain' looted."

"Aye, that's very kind of ye, Jack," says Barbossa.

"I was hopin'," says Jack, giving a hiccup, "Tha' I could 'ave somethin' in return for tha' particular lootin' spot." He swaggers after Barbossa as Barbossa draws a map out of a chest.

"Like?"

"Couple bottles o' rum," says Jack with a smile. He didn't know if Barbossa would fall for this, but seeing as Jack had been nice to him the previous day in the tavern, he might.

"Alright. It's down in the. . ." Barbossa begins, but Jack's smile reaches from ear to ear at the thought of Barbossa letting him free to wander round his ship looking for rum. "I'll get it for ye." And Barbossa left. As soon as the door had been shut Jack stopped his even-more-drunken-than-usual pretence and started rummaging around in the chests in Barbossa's cabin. After opening six or seven drawers, he came upon what he was looking for, the coin from the treasure of Cortez, he slipped it inside a pocket just as Barbossa opens the cabin door, carrying three bottles of rum, Jack slaps his happy grin back onto his face and flamboyantly twirls himself around. Barbossa hands over the rum.

"I been thinkin'," Jack hiccups, "Barbossa." He hiccups again. "Why don' we pu' all tha' messy 'istory between us," hiccup, "behind us now, and enjoy some good ol' rum?" Barbossa looks at Jack thoughtfully, and comes the to the decision of agreement, or, at least, makes Jack think he's come to the decision of agreement.

"Aye, ye're a noble man, Jack," says Barbossa, taking the bottle of rum Jack's holding out to him and taking out the cork. Jack hiccups and swigs his own rum.

"And ye are aswell," says Jack, hiccuping and bowing low towards Barbossa.

After a few bottles of rum, because Barbossa had been below decks to get more, on more than one occasion, both Captains were a little drunk, to say the least, but, of course, Jack wasn't as drunk as he seemed. Barbossa laid on his back on the bed, tilting his bottle slowly as the rum ran into his mouth. Jack was slumped over a chair, limbs dangling all over the place and sighing every few seconds.

"Bossa, me ol' friend, should we do this often," he slurs. Barbossa sits up, raises his bottle to Jack in a toast and promtly falls back on the bed knocked out. Jack got up at once, and poked him. He didn't stir, so Jack took out a knife, and got an empty rum bottle. 'I can't believe how easy this is,' Jack thought as he studied Barbossa's body for a moment. He takes the knife and makes a swift, small cut just below Barbossa's elbow and catches a few drips of his blood in the empty rum bottle. Barbossa stirs and Jack freezes for a second, but he doesn't seem to wake. After catching a little more blood he puts a cork in the bottle and leaves the cabin, with his hand in his pocket, feeling the coin of Cortez.


	6. Towards the Isle de Muerta

_**A/N:** To, well, everyone. I've finished this story, there's gonna be 8 chapters and I'm not particularly happy with the way it's worked out. So, I thought because it's in a finished state I'll finish posting it, so you can see what I've got, but when I've finished everything else I'm working on at the minute which is Silver Bell and a couple of original stories I'm gonna come back to this and work on it a bit more, and hopefully make it better. Alright? Thank you for your co-operation. That just sounds like a posh thing to say. So here we go. . ._

Chapter Six: Towards the Isle de Muerta

"Are ye alrigh'?" Jack asks Sarah the next afternoon, when Jack wakes up.

"Yes, I'm just not sure about this Barbossa thing," she replies. Jack takes her hand and pulls her close. He nuzzle her neck.

"We're gonna be alrigh'," says Jack. "Jus' got t' get to Muerta and put the coin in the chest and we're back t' life as normal," Jack explains, she smiles at him. Jack looks into her eyes. "Don' worry about it, love."

Aboard the Alchemist, Barbossa was going crazy. After he'd woken up, a little worse for wear, and, noticing the cut below his elbow, he immeadiately looked in the drawer for the coin, and it wasn't there. He stamped onto the top deck, shouting orders for the ship to be ready to sail in minutes. Every crew member, a little scared at his sudden temper, works hard to get the ship ready to find the Black Pearl.

"Right!" Jack roars at his crew, standing by the wheel. "We set sail for the Isle de Muerta this evening!" He hasn't told the crew why that was their destination, only Jack, Gibbs, Sarah and Lethaniel knew. And speaking of Lethaniel, he was working hard as part of the crew, and proving his worth.

"Sarah," Jack says, handing the wheel to Gibbs. "Will ye join me in the cabin?" Sarah looks over from her seat, staring at the horizon, rises, and follows him into the cabin.

"I feel, I feel tha' since Barbossa's come back inta me life, I've been neglected ye," Jack says, looking down from her eyes.

"You haven't Jack," Sarah says. "You've got a lot on your mind."

"Well, I feel as if I have, and, I'm beginning to feel a bit distant from you, an' I don' wan' t'," Jack says, pulling her close and giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

"If this is how you're going to be when Barbossa's around then I might ask him to stick about for longer," says Sarah, pulling the two braids on his chin.

"Are ye complainin'?" asks Jack, amazed. Sarah presses her lips firmly against Jacks.

"No. But haven't you got more important things to be getting on with? Like stopping an evil Captain who's back from the dead?" Jack ran a finger over her lips.

"No."

"So, you're going to spend lots of time with me?" says Sarah, as Jack picks her up and spins her around.

"However long it takes," he says, laying her down on the bed. But as soon as he climbs ontop of her she rolls them both over, so she's dominating.

In the distance, the watchman on the crows nest can see the Alchemist, sailing straight for the Pearl, in the distance.


	7. The Isle de Muerta

_**A/N: **I think this is the penultimate chapter! Wow. So, that's it. . ._

_Disclaimer: . . ._

Chapter Seven: Isle de Muerta

Jack awakes early the next morning, Gibbs had guided the ship through the night, and the watchman kept an eye on the Alchemist, which was gaining speed on them.

"Captain," calls Gibbs as soon as Jack comes from his cabin.

"Aye?" says Jack, wandering up to the wheel, swagering a little.

"The Alchemist's been tailing us all night," Jack whirls round to look for himself.

"The Pearl's the fastest ship in the Caribbean, they won't get to the island before us, and they can't get us in firing range, ignore them," says Jack, stomping back to his cabin where Sarah is getting dressed, putting on her breeches and shirt.

"What's this?" she asks him, holding out the bottle of Barbossa's blood. "It's not rum."

"Nay, 's more importa' than rum, love," Jack replies, taking the bottle from her, and shaking his head as if that last sentence didn't make any sense. "'s blood, blood tha' will rid us of Barbossa, the Cortez treasure brought 'im back to life, the Cortez treasure and 'is blood will kill 'im," cradling the bottle in his arms.

"I wish I knew of a treasure to bring people from the dead when my father died. I would have given anything to have him back."

"I know," Jack puts his hand on her shoulder. "But the treasure's go' 'o be destroyed, somehow."

"No ideas?" asks Sarah.

"None a' all, but we've got time," says Jack. "I need 'o go speak 'o me crew, love." So Jack leaves the cabin and rounds up his crew.

"Righ'! We're headin' 'o Isle de Muerta and when we ge' there I' need ye to keep The Alchemis' busy, don' le' 'er crew off the ship, I jus' nee' a few minutes and then we can head off fer some good ol' plunderin'!" The crew roared in agreement as the Isle de Muerta came into view in the distance, and the Alchemist seemed ever closer behind them.

As Jack steps onto the beach on the Isle de Muerta, cradling his bottle in one arm, the other in the pocket with the coin, Sarah calls after him.

"Jack!" she follows him off the ship.

"Sarah love, I'm onl' gonna be a minute, stay on the ship wi' the crew," Jack replies, walking off towards the cave. Sarah follows him.

"No. What if the crew can't hold the Alchemist?"

"Then we'll all die," says Jack, bluntly. "But I've got ter try thi' firs'." He turns into the cave, Sarah in hot persuit.

The Alchemist was almost upon the shores a short distance from the Pearl. Gibbs could see pirates jumping into the shallow water as he yells to the crew to get off the ship and go to the other. By the time the crew had got there, only the last few straggling pirates were coming off the Alchemist, they were all killed swiftly, and the crew of the Pearl set about finding the others.

Jack was just entering the cave holding the treasure of Cortez, much emptier than the last time he visited, although each of the pieces of Cortez gold were still in the chest. Sarah touched the gold.

"Don' take it out," Jack warned, as he tipped the blood from the bottle onto the coin.

"Jack!" shouts Barbossa from the entrance of the cave.

"Barbossa!" Jack shouts back, sounding thrilled the other pirate was here.

"Ye no' picked a good spo' fer plundein' Jack," sasy Barbossa coming nearer.

"Well, tha's the thing, Commodore, I ain't 'ere ter plunder. I's 'ere fer a much more importan' reason." And he casually dropped the coin in the chest. Barbossa looked up at him and Sarah, spoke his name, and fell.

Meanwhile, his crew were still fighting the crew of the Black Pearl, unaware that their captain had gone back to the Underworld, fighting for their lives and the few small coins that lay left in the caves of the island. And they weren't losing. Jack's men had almost halfed, and only killed maybe a quarter of Barbossa's now captainless crew. The fighting spread, and soon Jack was able to hear it, going on just outside the cave.

"Sarah love, stay in 'ere, an' try and figure ou' a way 'o stop people getting' the treasure again. I've go' 'o go help me crew." So he left her, in the cave, with a chest full of cursed treasure and a pirate fight outside.

Outside, the battle was in full swing, the crew of the Pearl were gaining on the crew of the Alchemist and Jack only helped. It wasn't long before all of Barbossa's crew were dead, on the beach of the Isle de Muerta.

"Righ'," Jack begins as he leads his crew into the cave. Sarah is still standing by the chest. "We're gonna push the chest inter the sea, an' we're gonna need all ye help." Most of the crew stared wide-eyed at Jack, it was indeed going to take all of them to push the heavy chest out of the cave, but they began, and it moved.

Sarah stood before the chest, helping drag it towards the beach, quickly moving her feet backwards as they gathered momentum. But as soon as they reached the edge of the cave, she stopped.

"Jack, I'm just going to gather up a few things from the cave," she says, heading back, Jack continues to help push the chest towards the sea, over the sand, with people holding the front end up.

Sarah takes a parasol from the cave and puts it above her head, walking back out to the beach, where Jack and the crew were retreating from the sea, splashed and tired, from the chest which was about forty yards in the water. Jack looks up to Sarah.

"Nice parasol," he comments. "Shame ye need it, bu' then again, I now need yer blood." He wraps his arms around Sarah's waist, feeling all over her. He takes a coin from her pocket, and then grabs her hand.

"Jack no! I need to see my father!" she screams as he leads her into the sea, parasol lost, showing her for a skeleton. Jack turns around and looks at her.

"Ye can' change wha' happened, love," he says. "And ye mustn' change the past, and ye mustn' change the future." He continues to lead her into the sea until they are up to their necks in water. "Now, I would say take a big breath, but being a living corpse ye wouldn' need it." He pulls her under the sea, and they swim out to the chest, which Jack can only just see, he gives the lid a hard shove and it doesn't budge, he pushes again, and it moves an inch. He he takes Sarah's hand and makes a small cut on one of her fingers, first rubbing the coin on the blood and then sliding it through the gap in chest. They both surface for air.

"Now ge' back 'o the beach," he orders her, as she turns back into flesh. She swims back, and Jack dives again, shoving the lid of the chest closed and then returning himself to the beach.


	8. Look Forward to the Future

Chapter Eight: Look forward to the future

Jack took the Pearl back to Tortuga, if only for a few days to pick up food, and rum, and pick up more for his crew, to try and replace the ones he had lost, but he didn't forget them. They had all been good men, who had fought for him, who fought for death of an evil man, who had had one too many chances.

Sarah was still on the Pearl, still with Jack, and she had brought two more women, much to Gibbs' displeasure, back to the ship. Strong women, who knew their minds and could help on board as part of the crew, and be as friends to Sarah, who couldn't help but feel lonely sometimes, even though on a ship full of people.

Two months later, the crew of the Pearl, Jack and Sarah were heading off for distant lands. Sarah still thought of the chance she had to see her father, and over time, began to understand Jack had been right. She shouldn't look back on the past like she had done, the only way to get on with life is to look forward to the future. And a future with Jack, could hold anything.

_**A/N: **There we go, it's all over._

_Lots of love_

_Silver Bell_

_xx_


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